Consumers in Northern Cape urged not to buy expired products

National Consumer Protection authorities in the Northern Cape have cautioned consumers against buying expired products. A grocery store in Kimberley was caught selling expired products to its customers. Some bear expiry dates from as far back as three years.

Sauces, biscuits and canned food are some of the products in the store. A bottle of tomato sauce was packaged in 2015 and expired in 2018. The owners say consumers go into their shop knowing what to expect. But the Consumer Protection Council warns consumers not to buy food that has expired.

“We would urge the client not to buy products that are near its sell-by or expiry date. Secondly, if a client finds that the good has expired or it’s not of a sale quality, were first requested the clients to go back to the supplier and ask for a refund or a replacement of that good,” says the Consumer Council’s Alecia Pietersen- Hendricks.

Some consumers like Mosata David say they are taking advantage of the slashed prices, especially on non-edible products.

“I don’t just buy anything but when it comes to things that you can use in the house like sunlight and all other stuff, I buy it.”

However, others say, the goods are harmful to consumers’ health, and shops selling them must be shut down.

“I think these people want to make us sick. My thought is that this shop must be closed,” says one consumer.

Another adds: “It’s wrong to sell people old products. I am also of the view that this shop must be closed.”

Health inspectors will soon visit the shop to assess its compliance.

In the video below, expired food seized from foreign-owned shops in Ekurhuleni: